This acts as my "parent blog". It's side bar contains contact information, links to other sites, ordering specifics, background content, and more. It also has a complete collection of my floral designs for cards and prints.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

http://www.zazzle.com/saguaro_on_blue_skateboard-186386557000049498?complete=false&group=all&lifeStyle=comp_7_34&rf=238515376438929878*******I have created a series of skateboard designs on Zazzle. Above is the link to one of them. From there, you can navigate to the others. I use 4 different cactus flower mandalas with a desert rat and cactus hugger theme. I will be expanding on the number of designs.********Creating the skateboard designs is the most challenging thing I have done on Zazzle, but I think I have found a fun theme to work with. I plan to use the desert rat theme for greeting cards and t shirts as well. I hope they bring a smile to your face. Let's spread some smiles.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Every week, I am posting what I call an illustrated thought of the week on Facebook. Most of the time, I use images and quotes or sayings that I have already posted on this blog. This week, however, I have a new pair.*******REFERENCE: i122 t86

Sunday, December 20, 2009

This week, I saw a bumper sticker with the peace symbol and the words: Hippie Power.That inspired me to play with the concept of flower power as a motto for my flower mandalas.*******I then wrote the little poem you see here and paired it with the rainbow mandala.I am going to design a bumper sticker with the rainbow mandala and the words: Flower Power. You will find them on Zazzle.*******On Zazzle, I have turned this into a poster, greeting cards, t shirt, and postage stamp.*******REFERENCE: i121 t85

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Each week, I post an illustrated thought of the week on my Facebook page. This Sunday's posting is sort of a belated Thanksgiving message paired with the fall colors of this pomegrante mandala.REFERENCE: t84

Monday, November 16, 2009

Here in Tucson, we have a bicycle coop called BICAS. They are asking for submissions of bike related art, so I have come up with this mandala made with bicycle parts. I did a black & white version first, then created this one with a rainbow of colors.

I plan to add greeting cards, stickers and t-shirt designs to this poster/print version. I am not offering this for sale. I expect that BICAS will offer it for sale and proceeds can go to support their non-profit organization. I will let you know when and how products become available.

Friday, November 13, 2009

I have created 2 bumper stickers to advertise my URL's. If any of you are willing to display one on your bumper, let me know and I will send you one.*******I saw a pickup truck with a sign on the tailgate listing a gallery URL on Etsy. I thought that was a great idea, but I am too cheap to buy a sign; so I thought a bumper sticker would be a good alternative. I posted the two designs on Zazzle. From there, I can order them one at a time. They do give volume discounts.*******I am not on Etsy as yet, but you art fans would find it an interesting site. Just go to etsy.com.*******Many of my designs could be made into bumper stickers. If you see an image you want to see as one, let me know.*******REFERENCE: i 120 & 121

Saturday, November 7, 2009

This was the first mandala I made with pink cosmos flowers, but I am addding it here; because I just realized that I had missed including this Marshall Mcluhan quote to my list of sayings. I think it is a point well taken.*******REFERENCE: t83*******I am also adding a list of all my mandalas on the sidebar of the Brightlight Mandalas site so that you can specify any of those images to go with the various texts I offer.

This is the page I use for printing the front and inside faceplates for box sets of Christmas cards. I can give you a set of 12 cards for $10.00 plus shipping. That breaks down to 3 cards each of 4 designs. The Peace Mandala comes in two versions. One has Merry Christmas and Happy New Year on the inside. The other has Season's Greetings on the inside. The Christmas Cactus mandala also comes in two versions with the same distinctions on the front.

I think these are two of the most unique holiday cards I have ever seen.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

I want to share 7 quotes by Rabindranath Tagore which can be used on any card or print you want:<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>"Every child comes with the message that god is not yet discouraged with man."*******"If you shut the door to all errors, Truth will be shut out."*******"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was a joy."*******"Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom."*******"Age considers; youth ventures."*******"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."********"Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven."

I turn 60 today, and received a card from a friend who wrote the nicest birthday note I have ever seen. With her permission, I am sharing it with you. I could include it on any birthday card design you want.*******"Celebrating birthdays is not merely a convention. Birthdays are occasions to honor one's growth, maturity, and development. Birthdays remind us that the gift of life is the most precious one we have, and the best birthdays are the ones still to come. Rejoice!" EJ MacDonald

Sunday, September 27, 2009

I am beginning a new blog site to offer free 8.5"x11" free downloads of many of my images including the most popular ones. They are available for you as 200 dpi resolution downloads. I create everything in 300 dpi, but downloading at that resolution would create very large files, bigger than most people want to download. I have them set up for 8.5"x11" for home printing. If you want larger sizes, or you want images on products such as t shirts and mugs, then go to my Zazzle gallery @:http://zazzle.com/robert_coyne*******My idea in offering these free images is that you will want to have larger ones and will go to Zazzle where I make a small profit. Most of my pictures are designed to look best at poster size of 23"x34.5", but they also look good at smaller sizes. I have even made some into postage stamps which are also available on Zazzle.*******I can do custom orders. As I explain on my parent blog, many images can be done as murals; but I could design some as business card logos. The possibilities are endless. Use your imagination and let me make it real for you.*******I am offering some designs as greeting and note cards including the insides. If you want them custonized, let me know. I figure that every card you send, every print you put on a wall, is free advertising for me; so feel free to share in a non-commercial manner. You can buy envelopes to fit the card sizes at any office supply store.*******In offering these downloads, I am trying to give my art a wider exposure and give my customers free samples of my work. All rights are reserved. You may e mail images to friends and relatives or make copies for free, but that does not give you permission to reproduce for profit.*******If you think you could print and market these images for profit, contact me to make arrangements for distribution. I would be happy to arrange marketing rights or to even work for a company already marketing cards, gifts, calendars and so on. I have many ideas for future designs and continue to improve. Anyone would be better off working with me than trying to steal from me, as I am affordable. I love creating the designs and want to make them widely availale at affordable prices.*******I make my living operating a board & care home, so this is a sideline. I am, however, very productive and could fill most any design demands you might have. I would also be willing to work with other designers. I offer two tutorial blogs in which I show how to make the digital mandalas. I think this type of design is a natural outgrowth of the new digital technology and would like to promote its development and growth in general.*******I may be reached by e mail at: nightbloomingcards@gmail.com*******From there, I can give further contact information as appropriate.ENJOY!Bob Coyne9/27/2009

Friday, September 25, 2009

I am going to create a separate blog on which I will post images for free downloads. I am posting the first one here. Accompanying it, is an artist statement explaining the purpose behind these offerings. As I get the new blog up and running, I will give you the URL & link.*******You can click on the image to enlarge it and hit your print icon to print dirctly to your printer, or you can right click on the image and hit save as. Save as a jpg file to your computer, and you can print, e mail, and make into desktop wall paper from there.

Again, this border can be used with other texts. I have previously given you three Irish Blessings which you can find by reviewing the contact sheets provided. I will probably be adding to them in time. REFERENCE: i 115

As you can see, I have been busy in my absence. If there are any other kind of flowers that you want to see as a composite like this, let me know. I will be happy to accomodate. Enjoy. REFERENCE: i 111

I think my images stand well by themselves, but from the beginning; I have felt that they are even better in sets. Box sets of cards was my first way of offering groups of images. Calendars are another great way to show the related images together. REFERENCE: i 102

This is one of my personal favorites. It is included in one of my calendars. On Zazzle, I have posted 7 calendars which have 42 images between them. You can create your own calendar by telling me which 12 images you want on a calendar. Pretty cool, sin't it? REFERENCE: i 101

It has been awhile since I have posted anything new here. I have been putting together what turned out to be 7 calendars which are posted on my Zazzle gallery. Most of the calendars feature mandala designs, but the fifth in the series is made up of 12 flower composite images of which this is my signature piece. These flower composite designs with the symmetrical arrangements of the blossoms are easy to creat in Photoshop. I think they are both interesting and esthetically pleasing and I wonder that others are not doing these. It seems to be an natural conception of the technology.*******I have also put some of these images on coffee mugs which are also posted on the Zazzle store. I plan to do some as cards and postage stamps as well. I can print cards myself or they may be purchased as customizble versions on Zazzle.*******REFERENCE: i 100

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Zazzle has questioned my use of the swastika in this mandala, so I would like to clarify the use of the symbolism in this design. Everyone is familiar with the Roman Cross used in Christianity. There are, of course, variations on this including Celtic Crosses and some used by Eastern Orthodox churches. Part of what I wanted to show in this image is that the cross has a more universal significance than just its association with Christianity. *******To that end, I included the Egyptian Ahnk which was an earlier form of the cross. The Egyptians performed ritual crucifixions as part of their ancient initiations including those in the Great Pyramid.*******Another early form of the cross was the swastika. I think of it as the cross in motion. It has become a controversial symbol in the West, because of its misuse by Hitler. He took it from ancient Nordic tradition where it was the Hammer of Thor. Some say that he reversed the rotation of the sign and thereby turned it into a black magic symbol. The direction of rotation, however, can be better understood as simply a matter of polarity.*******All creation is made up of positive and negative polarity and one cannot exist without the other. Thus, the swastika is a powerful symbol of the underlying nature of the Universe. It is found in Hindu and Buddhist traditions as well and Native Americans had their versions, so it predates the Nazis by centuries if not millenia.*******As an introduction to the topic, I would recommend the excellent article on Wikepedia.*******Expanding on the theme of polarity, I included the Chinese symbol of Tao. It is another beautiful expression of unity from duality. You begin to see that the mandala and its symbols take us around the world as an expression of the universality of meanings.*******A great example of that is the Star of David associated with Judaism. The interlocked triangles can be found in other traditions as well, however, incuding Hinduism. This is another expression of balance in polarity. One triangle is represents the masculine polarity, the other the feminine.*******The other symbol included is the OM symbol which represents the unity which trancends all the duality we find in this creation. All around the world, we find beautiful reference to the One God which used polarity to create all the diversity which eminates from duality.*******It was my intention in creating this piece to inspire us all to reflect on the deeper meanings behind this wonderful creation and perhaps spur us to investigate all this further.*******In this light, Babaji is the Baba or father of we who live on this planet and he asks us to live as brothers and sisters.

Since I first posted this, Zazzle has banned my use of the mandala because of the swastika. They would not relent, so I created a revised mandala using an Aztec form of the swastika. I consider the mandala, my most important design; so it is important to me to keep it available.

I have not posted anything on this site lately, becasue I have been busy creating a line of calendars and posting them on Zazzle. I have five 2010 sets ready.*******This is the link to the first calendar.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

This is anothere barrel cactus composite made with the brighter colored flowers. This one may be a little too busy. I may have gotten carried away trying to fill all the space and use all the blossoms. I could easily create a simplified version if anyone wanted.

When was the last time you read Desiderata? I have just rediscovered it. In my youth, I thought it was beautiful, but I find more meaning in it now. I remember Ed Ames reading it with his rich barritone voice back in the sixties. The border is made with barrrel cactus flowers and can be used with other text if you prefer. This is enough text that it would look good as a poster, but could be a smaller print.*******REFERENCE: i97, t72

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Here is another background made from the skin on the back of my hand. I could take pictures of my own and other people's hands and create a thousand images like this and each one would be different. I should be able to use the same technique to create background images from lots of natural textures, so you will see me experimenting along that line.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

I made this mandala with the flowers of the Christmas Cactus. I have made it into a Christmas card as seen here. It could be converted into a Seasons Greeting card or otherwise altered to suit your needs. This mandala will also serve as the December image for my 2010 calendar designs.*******REFERENCE: i 96, t 71

I have been experimenting with different textures and natural patterns which can be used as backgrounds for my designs. This one was quite a surprise. The biggest problem I have in taking flower photographs is the wind, so I often grap the flower by the stem with one hand and take the photo with the other. When I work with the photos in Photoshop, I blow it up so that I can see the fine detail. I noticed that sometimes, the back of my hand made an iteresting pattern enhanced by my dry skin. So I took a 1" square from a picture of my hand and blew it up. I then duplicted and rotated until I got the pattern you see here.*******I find that the artistic process is a series of surprises, but this tops them. To find such beauty embedded in the skin is amazing to me. When I saw this image, I just stared in reverence. It will inspire me to be even more observant of the beauty that surrounds us.

If any of you would like to have a saying or other text written in another language, I will be happy to oblige. Here in Tucson, Spanish is our second language and it would be relatively easy for me to translate something into Spanish.

I would be willing to research other languages as well, but in some cases, it would help if you would provide the translation. Fell free to contact me with any questions of requests. Of course, in most cases, the text is customizable; so you can edit it yourself.

Zazzle Flash Panel

INTRODUCTION

The first entries act as an introduction to this site and each successive posting builds on those that precede. So if this is your first visit to this site, we suggest that you start with the first posting and follow from there. *******I like the blog format because it allows me to tell a story.

MY OTHER BLOGS

This site acts as my "parent blog". The sidebar contains ordering information, background specifics, contacts, etc. It is also a complete collection of my card and print designs with flowers. I am up to 14 bogs in all.

I am adding a tenth blog called Tidbits from Tucson. It is a collection of posts on a wide range of topics that don't fit my artwork display. It includes inspiring videos clips, recipes, essays, and more.

About Me

For 28 years, I ran a board and care home for chronically mentally ill in Tucson, and really enjoyed the work; but creating art has always been a part of my life.
I have worked in various media including oils and acrylics, stained glass, cloth and wood; but I have been concentrating on digital art for the past few years.
I have never made my living with art, but I do take it seriously. I don't want to give up my care giving work, but some supplemental income will be helpful.
I specialize in designs using flowers of the Arizona desert and think my creations reflect my appreciation for cacti and nature in general. Many of my designs feature mandalas, and I pray that all portray beauty and harmony.
In 2012, I moved back to Maine after 31 years in Arizona. I grew up in Maine, and am happy to be back. I will continue to add to my Cactus Hugger designs reflecting the beauty of Arizona, but will be adding designs that come from an appreciation of the beauty of Maine and New England. I am continuing work in care giving, and always like to do gardening wherever I am. I now live in the country and have chickens. I plan to add milking goats and more.

CONTACT

To contact me, ask questions, or order; you may use this e mail address:nightbloomingcards@gmail.com*******A phone number or address are available with arrangement.

APPRECIATION

I want to thank John Farley for his support over the last 25 years. He has been my sometimes tough mentor, friend and inspiration for all that time. He has helped many people during his unusual and amazing life. Twenty eight years ago, John also founded the board and care home I operate. It is just one of the ways he has dedicated his life to helping others. I hope to share more about his influence in the future.

Thanks also to Brian Ezzell. Brian has been very helpful in teaching me about computers in general and graphics programs specifically. Brian is a gifted painter who has good advice regarding various aspects of artistic pursuits.

I also want to thank my son, Chris, for getting me started with a lot of the digital graphics. He works in animation and has been unselfish in helping me learn the technology involved in creating the works you see here.

All three have been generous with their time and encouragement.

PURPOSE

My goal is to create art that has a positive effect on it's viewers. To that end you will see mostly bright, pure colors with little use of black or fire engine red. The themes are meant to inspire, encourage and please. All is done with peace and harmony in mind.*******While there is a place for political statements and calling attention to injustice, that is not my calling. Rather to make my art a reflection of contentment in my own heart is what I strive to express.*******That is the biggest areas for which I thank John. My life used to be chaotic; he has taught me how to bring order into my world. In that sense, I think of all my pictures as being a mandala or visual meditation.*******Let there be peace in our hearts, in our homes and in our world all year round. May my little creations contribute to the harmony in your world.

Animation

I have expanded my digital art into animation. I post the resulting videos on my Dancing Mandalas blog, and I have a You Tube channel at:

nightbloomingcards7*******I am also available for logo design and logo animation as demonstrated on the Dancing Mandalas blog.

ZAZZLE

I have started putting my products on Zazzle. It is an online site which gives artists a chance to market their products as customizable, on demand products. Through them, I will be able to offer prints, t shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and much more.*******I don't have all my designs posted on Zazzle, but I can post anything that you are interested in. I can also make them into whatever product you would like.*******It is a very nice service and I would recommend that you check them out.********You may link to the site with:http://www.zazzle.com/robert_coyne

MURALS YOUR WAY

There is an online service which creates murals for people to put on their wall as wall paper. They have a lot of beautiful designs available and I would recommend that you check them out. They can even take one of your own photographs and turn it into a custom mural.*******It allows me to offer you my mandala designs as murals. I can expand any of my designs as needed to make them suitable for a mural. If you give me the dimensions of your wall, I can even customize to that size.*******I have always wanted to do murals, but it is such a project; that I have never put it into effect. I would be thrilled to have one of my designs made into a mural, so I will happily do the design process for free and you will just need to pay the mural site for their end. I simply ask that you send me a photo of the finished mural.*******It appears that there are similar sites out there, but I have not checked them out yet. I would be willing to work with anyone.*******The link is:http://www.muralsyourway.com/

ORDERING

I am using Zazzle as my primary production house. You will find most of what you want available there. I can easily add whatever else you might want to that site. Zazzle does offer volume discounts. See:www.zazzle.com/robert_coyneIf, however, you want me to use a local printer to make up an order; I can do that. It is best to contact me by email for details and price.*******I can do most special orders without extra charge because new versions will become part of my inventory. There may need to be a small extra charge for some custom orders that have one-time applicability.*******Commission work and wholesale orders are negotiable. I am also open to collaboration, especially if someone wants to combine their writings or music with my graphics or animation.*******To see what I am doing with animation, see my blog:Dancing Mandalasor visit my You Tube channel at:nightbloomingcards7